What do you expect people to do? Abroad in a nation and culture which is quite hostile and dismissive of your own, most people would tend to be standoffish about anything that could be perceived as a slight against their home. American culture is and has been extremely biased against China, and not always with proper justification. Did anyone really expect to win over Chinese students with a harsh, aggressive, and, frankly, hypocritical, foreign policy stance interspersed with large amounts of good old-fashioned "dey tuk a jubs!" racism?
Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
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Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#22I just graduated from Cornell, and I'm not surprised. Some student posters around campus which read "Hong Kong stands with Ukraine" had the "Hong Kong" scribbled out by someone else. [1] I saw students point and laugh at a similar poster. On multiple occasions, I saw scraps left behind where posters criticizing Xi Jinping or the CCP had hung. [1] https://i.postimg.cc/25LM9hZJ/7297-B1-DB-5-CB3-4019-BCF3-8-F...
I'm a current senior at Cornell and I'm conflicted.
> On Friday, the administration told students in an emailed statement "we have an expectation and responsibility to engage with viewpoints that we disagree with," but that "we must also respect that walkouts are a legitimate form of protest and an appropriate expression of disapproval."
I like free speech as much as the next Hacker News user, but many of the actions of these students (they have an organization and a secret group chat to coordinate stuff like this) absolutely fall into the toleration of intolerance paradox. On the other hand, walking out is just about the most polite form of protest you can conduct. Certainly better than the mob that tried to prevent the law school Boston Flag SC case debate from occurring this semester.
However, even without imposing actual consequences, the administration absolutely should have rebuked those using their free speech in favor of human rights abuses. They should have done more to defend Rizwangul NurMuhammad.
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#23Hmmm, if a group of white supremacists booed someone talking about their experience of racism, then got up and walked out, what would the administration’s response been? If that group then sent an email saying that they left because they did not feel comfortable and were subjected to hostility by the surrounding audience, would that be given a moment of respect? What if that organisation was giving large amounts of f…
Legally speaking, the University admin cannot do anything to Chinese students who boo and walk out, and also cannot do anything to white supremacists who boo and walk out. In the US, Students have First Amendment rights to express themselves. The critical point here is that by walking out they did not prevent any speakers from exercising their own First Amendment rights. It does not mean we have to respect them for t…
Stridently confident and 100% wrong.
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#24What do you expect people to do? Abroad in a nation and culture which is quite hostile and dismissive of your own, most people would tend to be standoffish about anything that could be perceived as a slight against their home. American culture is and has been extremely biased against China, and not always with proper justification. Did anyone really expect to win over Chinese students with a harsh, aggressive, and, f…
I expect people to treat others with respect. That's what I expect people to do.
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#25The cries of racism really ring hollow when they're talking about actions of a government, not a people or a culture.
Wait, what? So Jim Crow or Apartheid were not racist because they were promulgated by governments?
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#26It feels like the history is repeating itself. The people of Nazi Germany probably thought they were doing the "right thing". These Chinese students have been brainwashed enough to believe everything their government says. Or may be even paid well enough to act like that!
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#27Quoted post unavailable.
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Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#28The cries of racism really ring hollow when they're talking about actions of a government, not a people or a culture.
Wait, what? So Jim Crow or Apartheid were not racist because they were promulgated by governments?
For context, in the article the mainland Chinese student association leader mentioned that by the mere mention of Xinjiang and the CCP’s culpability was seen as being racist toward them as Chinese people.
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#29The cries of racism really ring hollow when they're talking about actions of a government, not a people or a culture.
Wait, what? So Jim Crow or Apartheid were not racist because they were promulgated by governments?
I think you've misunderstood the GP. The Chinese students are claiming the people criticizing the Chinese government are being racist. The GP is saying criticizing a government (and not the people) is not inherently racist.
Re: Chinese students at Cornell “taunt” Uyghur classmate
#30The cries of racism really ring hollow when they're talking about actions of a government, not a people or a culture.
Wait, what? So Jim Crow or Apartheid were not racist because they were promulgated by governments?
GP is saying that if some is criticising the Chinese government, it does not imply that they are being racist towards Chinese people. But these students try to muddy the waters by conflating the two issues.